Advances in GPS Tracking - SOMEBODY Knows Where You Are! |
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By: Matt Colvin Posted: 2006-11-02 01:56:39 |
| Geographical Positioning Systems or GPS in short have been around for some time now, and what was once a novelty has become a wrist watch based minor device with some very major applications. GPS works on the principle of triangulation from a reference system based in space. Having its genesis in the Transit System being used in the US Navy in the late 1950s, where a 2 dimensional system was used to find the location of ships with the aid of satellite reflection waves, the current generation GPS systems have come a very long way indeed.GPS is increasingly being integrated with diverse applications that require knowledge of own geographical location. With the miniaturization of the GPS device and increase in the satellite imagery resolution, it is becoming an affordable solution for a vast range of applications ranging from wild animal tracking to whale herd movement, submarine tracking by Naval forces to precision guidance for missiles. GPS devices have become an essential part, rather the most essential part of a number of applications that have tracking of an object or a living being as its prime objective.The principle on which a GPS functions and which is used to ensure flawless tracking is based on the trilateration or triangulation in 2 dimensional terms. The principle is based on the time difference it takes for clock signals to arrive at the GPS receiver from various satellites hovering in space. The differential in time is fed to the GPS software which in turn determines the location of the object in relation to the satellites. Tracking takes this feature a step further by integrating the principle of radio broadcast with GPS location service or a viewing service or a central node station using means to communicate with it. The coordinates of the GPS, when translated onto a mapping service and stored in the GPS’s memory make a primitive tracker where the way points of movement can be tracked. This feature, if combined with moving vehicles can become a vehicular tracking system. The use of other devices like GPS based phone can assist in human tracking in the field. The same is finding extensive use in the armed forces around the world. Central management of resources by large corporations is also done using a GPS device; albeit some covertly and some after declaration. When using a central command center to coordinate the GPS coordinates of all neighboring GPS stations, a grid can be formed and movement patterns of a large body can be tracked. The possible applications for tracking are limited only to ones imagination and of course the budget.The question “Where am I ?” might still remain unanswered if you ask it to yourself, but for someone tracking you, he knows exactly your latitude, longitude and altitude. Just ask him. |
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